On alert: an Australian Bureau of Meteorology satellite image shows Cyclone Nicholas bearing down on Western Australia
Players keep weather eye on Nicholas
Australian producer Santos said today the Legendre and Stag oilfields off Western Australia's north-west coast have been shut in as Tropical Cyclone Nicholas bears down on the Kimberly coast.
"The vessels for Legendre and Stag were disconnected and sailed away on Monday afternoon," said Santos spokesman Matthew Damon.
Santos said its operations in the Timor Sea, including the Bayu Undan, Challis and Elag oil and gas fields, had not been affected by the cyclone.
Legendre produced about 7000 barrels of oil per day at the end of December, while Stag pumps about 8700 bpd, according to Santos' fourth-quarter production report.
Both fields are operated by US independent Apache.
Cyclone Nicholas, a category 1 storm, was about 285 kilometres north-west of Broome and 555 kilometres north-east of Port Hedland at 12.50 pm local time (0350 GMT), the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said in an update posted on its website.
Santos said its Mutineer-Exeter oilfield off Western Australia, which was producing at reduced rates of between 4000 and 5000 bpd, had stopped production prior to the cyclone due to field repairs.
Perth-based Arc Energy said earlier today it was evacuating non-essential site staff and securing the Yulleroo-2 exploration well, in the onshore sector of the Canning basin, as a precautionary move.
Meanwhile, AED said yesterday it had shut in Puffin North-East in the Timor Sea due to the storm. It said it would have to disconnect its floating production vessel from the wellhead and move it to safer waters if the threat from the cyclone intensified.